The ARCHIVO Advanced Research Seminar 2026 explores the intersections between photography, archives, and environmental thought. It examines how photographic and archival practices mediate relations between human and non-human worlds in contexts of ecological crisis. By emphasizing collaborative discussion and research-led exchange, the program equips participants with conceptual tools and methodological strategies relevant for scholarship, curatorial practice, and artistic intervention.

ARCHIVO Advanced Research Seminar 2026

Presentation

Within the broader framework of ARCHIVO’s 2026 annual program, Archival Entanglements: Researching Ecologies of Care, the ARCHIVO Advanced Research Seminar 2026 explores the intersections between photography, archives, and environmental thought. It examines how photographic and archival practices mediate relations between human and non-human worlds in contexts of ecological crisis.
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Combining theoretical reflection with practice-based engagement, the seminar invites participants to consider archives as dynamic infrastructures and photographs as instruments that both document and reimagine ecological realities. It fosters critical inquiry into how these practices generate alternative modes of knowledge, cultivate ethical awareness, and promote gestures of care and responsibility.​ By emphasizing collaborative discussion and research-led exchange, the program equips participants with conceptual tools and methodological strategies relevant for scholarship, curatorial practice, and artistic intervention.
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The ARCHIVO Advanced Research Seminar 2026 invites doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to submit a proposal based on their ongoing research. We welcome applications from researchers working in both Western and non-Western contexts, with the aim of fostering a diverse, inclusive, and critically engaged environment for dialogue and exchange. The seminar will take place from February to June 2026 through weekly online sessions, including lectures, webinars, artist talks, reading groups, and individual mentorship. Fifteen candidates will be selected to join the seminar cohort and further develop their research projects. Partial scholarships will be available for participants who require financial support.

Mentors

• DR. BERGIT ARENDS (The Courtauld, United Kingdom)
• DR. SARA CALLAHAN ( Malmö University, Sweden)
• DR. KARLA McMANUS (University of Regina, Canada)

Programme developer and coordinator:

• DR. ANA CATARINA PINHO (IHA, Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal)

Programme

• MODULE 1 (Feb 2026)
  Photography and the Environmental Turn
  Introduction to the Advanced Research Seminar 2026
  
  
• MODULE 2 (Mar 2026)
  History does not need to be as it was
  Photographic and lens-based practices and methods of the expanded archive
  
  
• MODULE 3 (Apr/May 2026)
  Temporality, care and ecological entanglements
  Curating as a conceptualised visual practice
  
  
• MODULE 4 (May/Jun 2026)
  Situated research in an anthropogenic world
  Picturing and researching eco-photography in the present

More details 

Application

Eligibility

The seminar is open to doctoral and post-doctoral researchers.

Applicants must be currently engaged in ongoing doctoral or postdoctoral projects.​

There's no geographical restrictions, but it is relevant to ensure availability to attend the programme sessions which are held between 5PM and 8PM, in the UK time zone.

Participation requirements

Applicants must have a high level of written and spoken english.
Access to a computer with a stable internet connection, and a operational system that supports ZOOM (including sound, video, and screen sharing).

Submissions of applications 

To submit your application, please provide the application form (point 1), alongside the required information (points 2 to 5) in one single PDF file:​

• Application Form (download in the website)
• Project abstract (500 words max.)
• Indicative bibliography
• Writing sample (1500 words max.)
• Biographical note (150 words max.)
• Short CV focusing on the last five years (2 pages max.)

Submit your application to seminar@archivoplatform.com no later then December 31. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Notification of results will be sent to applicants by January, 2026.

Programme Fees

APPLICATION FEE: No fee is charged

SEMINAR TUITION: 240 EUR p/ month

Upon notification of acceptance, selected participants will be asked to complete their registration by submitting the full programme fee of 1,200 EUR.

If the programme fee is to be covered by a university or research institution, participants may request an invoice addressed to their institution. Further payment instructions will be provided upon acceptance.

Scholarships

ARCHIVO will offer a limited number of partial scholarships to candidates who require financial support. If you wish to apply for a scholarship, make the request through the application form.

For inquiries, please contact Dr. Ana Catarina Pinho via info@archivoplatform.com